My favorite place in the world! If you haven’t been to the Cailler chocolate factory I would highly recommend it. Also, you can’t go wrong with a stop in Gruyère. It’s idyllic and there’s the small town with Gruyère featured on all the menus. I lived in Sion and it has one of the oldest working organs in the world. The town has two short hikes to the top of the fort and cathedral that sit in the middle of town. The older part of town is charming. These are all Francophone places so that’ll make things easier. Enjoy!
Amazing! My 23 year old son is heading out Friday to hike Mont Blanc with a friend then heading to Italy for a few weeks on his own. I’m super envious! Never been to Switzerland💜
Oh so fun! Just came back from a trip to Wengen, Lucerne, and Lugano. LOVED our hikes in and around Wengen! Also so much fun watching World Cup games in town and city centers!
We loved a little town called Kandersteg. It’s south of Interlochen. We did some beautiful hikes there inc one called the Gemmi pass with multiple difficulty levels. So
We lived in Basel with our three youngest kids for four years, from 2008-12. (We also have six kids, oldest is 39 and youngest is 20.) We still have a chalet in the Valais, and it's along the route of the Mont Blanc Express, which I highly recommend, super easy and not expensive. Our kids have loved hang gliding in Interlaken (Bernie the Birdman is a hoot), Chillon Castle in Montreux is good for a rainy day, and if you haven't been, Zermatt is really terrific. We've probably stayed there more than a dozen times--it's like taking people to the Empire State Building or Statue of Liberty when you live in NYC. Floating down a river through a picturesque city is also a must but it looks like you all did that in 2012! I don't know much about eastern Switerland near Austria other than my sister once begged us to take her to Heidiland and it was absolutely gorgeous and very fun.
Hiking on Mount Rigi and visiting the mineral spring spa, Rigi Kaltbad, is an amazing experience! You can take a boat across Lake Lucerne to Vitznau, then take a cogwheel train up to Mt. Rigi and the spa. Then you can take an aerial cable car back down (you can also do the aerial car up but it's a steep walk from the lake to the cable car station). The "journey" of getting to Mt. Rigi and the spa is so picturesque and makes for a very Swiss day!
We did this and I can confirm the walk up to get the cable car gets your heart pumping! The mineral spa at the top is wonderful with amazing views! I had a massage there and it was easily one of my top 3 best massages.
We went 2 years ago and highlights were Grindelwald, First Mountain edge walk (then ride trotti bikes down the mountain!), walk the Lauterbrunnen valley & go up into Trummelbach falls. We wish we'd had more time! We want to go back and see more of SUI as soon as possible!
My favorite place in the world! If you haven’t been to the Cailler chocolate factory I would highly recommend it. Also, you can’t go wrong with a stop in Gruyère. It’s idyllic and there’s the small town with Gruyère featured on all the menus. I lived in Sion and it has one of the oldest working organs in the world. The town has two short hikes to the top of the fort and cathedral that sit in the middle of town. The older part of town is charming. These are all Francophone places so that’ll make things easier. Enjoy!
Amazing! My 23 year old son is heading out Friday to hike Mont Blanc with a friend then heading to Italy for a few weeks on his own. I’m super envious! Never been to Switzerland💜
Oh so fun! Just came back from a trip to Wengen, Lucerne, and Lugano. LOVED our hikes in and around Wengen! Also so much fun watching World Cup games in town and city centers!
Another vote for Lucerne!
Bellinzona
Isola di Brissago
Chez Ma.Cousine in Old Town Geneva
Trummelbach Falls
We loved a little town called Kandersteg. It’s south of Interlochen. We did some beautiful hikes there inc one called the Gemmi pass with multiple difficulty levels. So
Beautiful!
We lived in Basel with our three youngest kids for four years, from 2008-12. (We also have six kids, oldest is 39 and youngest is 20.) We still have a chalet in the Valais, and it's along the route of the Mont Blanc Express, which I highly recommend, super easy and not expensive. Our kids have loved hang gliding in Interlaken (Bernie the Birdman is a hoot), Chillon Castle in Montreux is good for a rainy day, and if you haven't been, Zermatt is really terrific. We've probably stayed there more than a dozen times--it's like taking people to the Empire State Building or Statue of Liberty when you live in NYC. Floating down a river through a picturesque city is also a must but it looks like you all did that in 2012! I don't know much about eastern Switerland near Austria other than my sister once begged us to take her to Heidiland and it was absolutely gorgeous and very fun.
so exciting! where will you stay (hotels/resorts) in Switzerland?
A high school classmate is at Lake Lucerne and I saw some footage from Fräkigaudi Toboggan -- it looked incredible!!
Centrum Paul Klee in Bern, also has a beautiful sculpture garden and is set up on the side of the river valley. I loved Bern!
Gletscherschlucht Rosenlaui
Trummelbach Falls
Gruyère
Another huge vote for Trummelbach Falls. There's nothing like it and you can feel the roar in your body.
Have a wonderful time. I know you will. I know we will be receiving awesome photos & wonderful stories of this family vacation.
Hiking on Mount Rigi and visiting the mineral spring spa, Rigi Kaltbad, is an amazing experience! You can take a boat across Lake Lucerne to Vitznau, then take a cogwheel train up to Mt. Rigi and the spa. Then you can take an aerial cable car back down (you can also do the aerial car up but it's a steep walk from the lake to the cable car station). The "journey" of getting to Mt. Rigi and the spa is so picturesque and makes for a very Swiss day!
We did this and I can confirm the walk up to get the cable car gets your heart pumping! The mineral spa at the top is wonderful with amazing views! I had a massage there and it was easily one of my top 3 best massages.
Enjoy the escape from the heat!
Saving all these comments!!!
I loved Lauterbrunnen way back in 1999 when I went!
We went 2 years ago and highlights were Grindelwald, First Mountain edge walk (then ride trotti bikes down the mountain!), walk the Lauterbrunnen valley & go up into Trummelbach falls. We wish we'd had more time! We want to go back and see more of SUI as soon as possible!